Saturday, August 31, 2013

The old poster with the Occupy Rogers Park and Occupy Chicago stencils finally got thrown out. It used to sit in B1E Gallery's yard last year. Reminds this writer of when this issue was discussed on Everyblock.

Studies have shown that graffiti "free walls" lead to more graffiti. Makes for an interesting photo though.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Tonight Fox News reported that 22 year old Durane Oden (pictured above) has been charged with violating probation. Apparently you aren't supposed to be seen holding guns if you are on parole. Needless to say Duran has a lot of points on the new heat list.

36 grams of crack and the gun he (allegedly) toted around in the video was discovered by police when they searched his Rogers Park home (days after the video "Bang Da Hitta - Die L'z" was posted to Chevanston). He is in jail now at Cook County facing multiple felony charges.

Most of the boarded up windows have been uncovered. The side yard is now secured with a handsome black iron fence. Building permit posted on second floor front window. Sand sits in a low, wide dumpster out front for concrete or future tuckpointing.

Evidence of past neglect still lingers. Small plants growing in the gutter. Graffiti on the south side of the house. The side entrance continues to be inaccessible. A damaged antique door has not been fixed or replaced yet.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Roman Susan Art Gallery at 1224 w. Loyola is hosting an interactive art project involving kids, drawing and video. This is a city wide event and Rogers Park will be the first neighborhood to create a film composed of evolving children's art. Neighbors are invited to participate in the public drawing. Paper will cover the rooms. So there will be plenty of space to express yourself. Using stop frame video (as above) the entire process will be videotaped and collated into one video. Not sure if their is an age restriction on the drawing.

Public Drawing: October 6 - October 20

Monday-Friday 3 pm to 6 pm | Weekends 12pm to 4 pm

Gallery Hours: October 23 - 25 from 3 pm to 6 pm

Closing Event: October 25 from 7 pm to 9 pm

"Siobhan Leonard's art education career began teaching film to children at a summer camp. As an experiment, she implemented stop-motion animation into the curriculum. The simple role of drawing was key as students created pictures, frame by frame, and assembled the many images into a short film. This experiment made Leonard realize just how much freedom there is in drawing and how uniquely different each person draws. "

This is Geoffrey Smalley's picture which survived the fire at 1444 w Farwell this past January. These series of photos are reader submitted. The Smalley family vows to repair the western half of their duplex at the corner of Farwell and Greenview (yes the same duplex where the Bang Da Hitter video was filmed). Ivan Smalley and wife look grim but determined as they comb through the wreckage. Sad to see what was destroyed and happy to find what can be saved. These photos were taken Friday 8/9/13.The insurance company has told them that they have to rebuild from the basement and back up again. Which will be a challenge since its a duplex and some of the damage extends into the other half.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Pictures from last week Wednesday (8/21) of construction at the Loyola "L" stop. Bruno's; the hold out on Sheridan has been included in a Loyola approved rendering.

Homogenization of style, owners, and outlook make for a dull neighborhood, college and life. But that is just what Loyola University has been trying to do with their Rogers Park campus.

The needless destruction of the buildings at Albion and Sheridan and many other buildings in the area has created a more boring, monochromatic area. Thank god Bruno's refused to leave. One of the few liquor store slash bars left on the north side of Chicago and in a beautiful building on top of that.

We are glad that Loyola is doing well and reinvesting in the area with their and our money (gifted TIF tax dollars). But they can't have it all their way (thankfully).

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Not picking up garbage @ V-Tone will be an interesting case study (and on the attitude that "why don't you tell everyone else to pick it up?"). It has been two weeks. So far the refuse isn't that bad. A few beer bottles here and there, a couple water bottles (one smashed and one half full of water), plenty of food wrappers and a Dunkin Donuts plastic cup. The side yard has barbed wire, a dead tree with a plastic bag caught on it and more accumulated trash.

Ordinarily this writer would have picked this all up in five minutes. But the proprietor has made it clear that he doesn't care and that my efforts are not appreciated. The muscles at V-Tone at this point are only for self improvement and have nothing to do with keeping the neighborhood safe and trash free. Will check back in two weeks.

Monday, August 26, 2013

The fence that surrounds the former Lerner newspaper factory used to stick out a foot further. Most of the poles were cut flush to the ground. Save four.

Walking towards the Art and Sol flea market this past Saturday this typist witnessed a fellow fair goer trip on one of these. The view above shows that the pole remnants stick up an inch and a half. Just enough to stub your toe real good or cause someone to fall.

Falls can lead to serious injury or death. Fractures, concussions, broken nose, bruised ribs or a chipped tooth.

Thankfully the pedestrian who tripped this past Saturday was able to catch his bearings and continue on to enjoy the flea market. ("Suffice it to say" this writer will inform Ward 49 of this issue tomorrow morning.)

Drinking alcohol in public is strictly forbidden on Howard Street. But the container referred to in the title doesn't have anything to do with ethanol. The fencing that once surrounded the storage area for the Howard Streetscape has been taken down and rolled up.

A foreshortened version of a container box used to ship goods worldwide still sits on the property with its door slightly ajar. A structure such as this is unwise to be left unguarded and unlocked so near a school, public park, the "L" and where homeless, winos frequent.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

A dead tree started a Twitter account. Half dead tree on Morse in front of the Rogers Park florist. Major tree limbs falling due to ?climate change and or disease. We are surrounded by the carcasses of our leafy green friends. Its not an early winter. The emerald ash borer is destroying the trees of our neighborhood.

Evanston painted trees blue (Sheridan median by the Calvary cemetery) to call attention to the infestation of the Asian bug with a voracious and unstoppable appetite. Last year they cut down all the trees on Elmwood (aka Irony) avenue by St. Francis (for probably the same thing). Evanston was to have cut down these trees on Sheridan earlier today. Will drive by tomorrow for an update.

Its about time J.B. Albertos (est. 1965) came north to pizza starved Howard. The Art and Sol Fair is becoming a more coherent organized "affair". The tents were set up east and west of Ashland today. Plenty of room to walk on the sidewalk this time.

The cops were keeping watch in the vacant lot at Howard and Ashland. J.B. Albertos was selling personal pan pizzas out of their truck for five bucks a pop. Pepperoni, sausage and cheese.

Friday, August 23, 2013

From Nothing tweeted a picture of CPD investigating another shooting at approximately 8 pm. "Shooting in Rogers Park just minutes ago! Gun violence in #Chicago is a result of the racist war on drugs." Are we to believe that if drugs were sold by the Italian mafia then the CPD would look the other way?

Plenty of shooting due other reasons, like jealousy, anger, gang ties, etc, etc. Here is the link to the photo.
Could tell from the painted over wood exterior and the sticker above the zero that it was Rogers just south of Howard. Confirmed by reading Twitter exchange.

There was a shakedown of drug dealers and their pals at the building at Fargo and Ashland (southwest corner) by the fuzz just an hour ago. Legalizing pot would take some of the crime away. But fat chance the other hard stuff ever will.

Ceasefire just held a shooting vigil this evening at the United Church of Rogers Park for the shooting at that very corner two days ago.

(above Google Maps view of Rogers just south of Howard - Picasa HDR)Please continue reading for more pictures taken today of the scene (8/24/13)

Over the past few weeks a woman of unknown age and race (at least to this writer) has been emptying two to three boxes of Hoy, Red Eye or The Onion of papers. Throwing them all over Paulina at the Howard Bus stop.

She has struck three times this past week. It is creating a headache for the CTA who has had to dispatch a worker specifically to deal with this problem.

(Note this writer discovered speaking to a neighbor that this lady has probably struck other areas nearby. The neighbor picked up ten newspapers worth of paper yesterday on Ashland in between Birchwood and Jarvis.)

Update 8/23/13 2:50 pm - A reader just clicked on Chevanston's previous coverage of this same problem from October last year. How long has this woman been at this?

Please continue reading for more pictures and wordsUpdate 8/24/13 8 am - photo of CTA worker has been modified

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Chicago Tribune just posted a median price "heat" map for April - June 2013. Spring and summer tend to be the months when more houses are sold. So its the best time to reassess general trends in real estate.

According to the map home prices in Rogers Park fell 6.21% in the past year. Looking at prices over the past three and five years reveals prices plummeted 26.45% and 38.44% respectively. 2008 is when the housing crash occurred; five years ago.

So it appears that Rogers Park and most of the city has reached or almost reached bottom. In other words its a good time to buy. The "median" house price listed for Rogers Park is $139,750 which is low due to the many many distressed condos on the market included in the calculation.

Have seen earlier iterations of this same shirt. It has been a staple item for sale @ the Greenleaf Art Centerfor years. Located on its namesake street just west of the Metra stop (1806 W Greenleaf). Click here to buy it.

A frequent poster on the now dead Everyblock used a childhood picture wearing a similar shirt. Not everyone living here can claim that they were "made In Rogers Park". Not even the namesake of Rogers Park, Philip Mcgregor Rogers, could do that.

So this writer thinks its okay for recent transplants like PMR himself to buy a t-shirt to support a great cause like art. Here is the Facebook for the Greenleaf Art Center. There is a members critique session coming up in September where you can get feedback on your completed or unfinished artwork.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Just happened to catch the workers unloading a ton of rebar at Wayne and Farwell this morning. The crane had a sign on it that warned "Swing Radius Stay Clear".

This is a project so large that a blog has been created just to follow the day to day progress (How to build a substation) How many levels of reinforced concrete will be needed? Keep following HTBAS to find out.

WGN news (Tanya Francisco) and NBC news broadcast live earlier today (noon) where Norman David Esho, 83, of the 6300 block of North Francisco Avenue was struck and killed by a red SUV. While WGN was there a relative was burning incense at the memorial site. The Sun Times reports that Mr. Esho was a refugee from Sadam's Iraq and arrived here in the U.S. in 1994.

On Wednesday morning, police were looking for the SUV, described as maroon or red — and either a GMC or a Chevrolet.

NBC reports that the driver was turning left when the vehicle struck Mr. Esho. The television segment goes on to say that he was walking to Golden Video on the east side of the street. So it appears that the driver that hit him was travelling westbound on Devon making a left onto California just after the light turned red. Late afternoon and early evening can be a dangerous time to drive due to the glare of the sun.

Murders may be down in Rogers Park, but the shootings continue. Is it because they are bad shots? Easy for a local blog to turn into just a crime blog. According to DNAinfo.com in their local city-wide violence roundup there was "an argument about gang affiliations". A novel way to describe inter or intra gang warfare. It hints that it would be possible for them to resolve their differences or that something important was being discussed.

About 2:15 a.m. Wednesday, a 33-year-old man was shot in his hip and stomach during an argument about gang affiliations in Rogers Park, said Officer Michael Sullivan, a police spokesman.The man was taken to Saint Francis Hospital after the incident, which happened in the 1600 block of West Morse Avenue

Please continue reading for more pictures and words (finally tooks pics of 1600 block of Morse)

Religious candles arranged in a circle mark where a deadly hit and run took the life of an 83 year old man earlier this evening (6:30 pm) at California and Devon (southwest corner). According to CBS a red SUV sped through the intersection running a red light and never stopped.

The witness says some people chased the vehicle on but the SUV was too fast for them. It got away. It was last seen going south at Rockwell and Peterson.

California was blocked off from Devon to Granville after the deadly accident. Neighbors sat on a guardrail just south of the CVS enjoying a warm summer night and contemplating the crime scene. Watching the news we see a lone shoe sitting forlornly in the middle of street.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Odds are if you almost kill or put someone in the hospital at your local bar you will get caught and put away for a long time. The possible culprits live only a seven minute walk away from where Michael Davis was beaten with a baseball bat the night of June 17th. DNAinfo.com just published a report that the two men (Anthony Rudon 50 and Tremaine Gallimore 21) who are believed to be the perpetrators are in custody.

This is a close up of the Chase ATM (not ATM machine) @ the Greenleaf and Western (West Ridge) drive-thru. A risky place to tag considering its under surveillance. While using the machine this writer noted a group of bearded men catching up near the bank's driveway.

Chase should be on top of this. They are the number one bank of the United States. With holdings over 2 trillion dollars (2.43) Chase could take care of this problem without batting an eyelash. That's the problem when you get too big. Lack of oversight, personal touch, pride. If this was an independently owned bank you would be far less likely to see such vandalism tolerated.

Chase just changed its slogan from Chase "what matters" to "so you can". Let Chase do the banking for you "so you can" focus on the important details in life; like gang tagging a Chase ATM.

Monday, August 19, 2013

A local neighbor (as opposed to a non local neighbor?) sent this into Chevanston's inbox.

John Andrew from Rogers Park East added a photo and said:

"Has anyone discovered Chevanston? It's a local blog obsessed with graffiti, stickers, litter and goofy stuff. It is so whacky it's fun. Whom ever runs it is very compulsive about life. Check it out for a good laugh. It is better than Comedy Central on some days."

Shared with Rogers Park East and 6 nearby neighborhoods, including Rogers Park North.

Things have been better on this stretch of Rogers Avenue lately. This courtyard building has new address signs and the litter has been picked up. But the gang graffiti has popped back up (Though its been awhile).

There was a shooting almost two weeks ago of either a male or female in their twenties by Rogers and Clark. Red Violin is a nice looking new liquor store with decent beer selection. But the customer base there does tend to conduct their transactions there in a haphazard chaotic manner.

Please continue reading to see the gang graffiti (which has been passed onto the Ward 49 office and Caps)

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Last year Joe Moore spoke of a possible change in ownership of the liquor store at Northshore and Clark to a Mr Amit Amin. Mr. Amin owns Evanston First Liquors a few miles north. This store was formerly known as El Mexican Liquors. It was to change names to Northshore Food and Liquors.

The changes that are occurring at this liquor store are for the betterment of the neighborhood. Liquor stores can be havens for vice and violence. The stark bland but uncluttered storefront will be cheered up soon with a new awning.

Friday, August 16, 2013

One the wackiest and off the wall murals so far has been unfolding slowly over the past few weeks. These reader submitted photos show the most recent progress of the mural @ Lunt & Glenwood (today). The porta potties and beer vans etc are being set up in anticipation of the best summer street fair the city of Chicago has to offer.

Glenwood Arts Festival takes place each year on Glenwood Avenue from Lunt to Farwell and on Morse from Glenwood to Greenview.

Studying these photos that Michael Luckenbach sent in we see that this is tagging not gang graffiti. But still these scrawlings are unwelcome at the newly renovated Howard "L". These territorial pissings are on the Evanston side of the "L" station.

These pics are being sent on to this email address graffiti@caps24.org for the cops and here for the alderman's office ward49@cityofchicago.org (this blog post discussed where to send graffiti pics so that they are removed and studied, but its always good to have a refresher).

This is Chevanston Crib Chatter edition (can't get Crib Chatter to break out of their green zone rut). One of a kind house in a one of a kind location. Imagine living in a single family house where your neighbors are high rises. A few 2/3 flats to the west but an extremely dense part of the city.

The real estate sales agent even has a gothic sounding name; Bert Gor (missing an e?). Bicycling late at night you get a flat tire. You see a small dim light in the front room with the gate slightly ajar (little do you know that its always locked). A old man is relaxing in a rocking chair in the foyer. The other buildings look formidable, unapproachable. What ensues after knocking at the door for help is something right out of The Picture In The House.

(Just removed three redundant photos) - Last edited 8/17/13 9am

Please continue reading for more pictures and words (Warning LOTS of pictures)

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Not everyone is hooked into the Rogers Park Neighborhood Facebook Site. In fact there are many people without Facebook or Nextdoor accounts. So this writer decided to reprint what this fellow neighbor posted to RPNF yesterday. For the sake of public safety its important for everyone to know where potential problems lie.

Tee Malone

"Now that the gangbangers are not allowed in the park by gale they hang on Greenview between jonquil and Howard. Last night (Tuesday) when my neighbor and I were waking (sic) our dogs around ten a mob of about 30 teens chased down a girl and a huge fight ensued. We hustled home and the girl being chased followed us home had a knife and forced herself into our entry way and refused to leave. Several police had to come to get her out."

Strangeloop Theatre presents R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)In 1921 Karel Capek introduced the word "robot" to a world still recovering from the ravages of war and built around it the concept that humankind would bring about its own destruction. Still relevant today, R.U.R. examines what it is to be human and robot, and what it means to love

When - September 5 - October 6, 2013 - 8p.m. on Thurs, Fri, Sat and 2p.m. on Sundays

Location - The Side Project Theatre 1439 W Jarvis Avenue Chicago

Tickets - 18 dollars general admission and 15 dollars for seniors and students

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Pic taken last week. Edgeville Buzz did a story on the closure of El Norte last year. Renovations continue on the boarded up building.

Bryn Mawr, Ridge and Broadway is a rare five sided, one of a kind intersection.

The green sign asks the question - what do you want on this corner? Share your ideas @ 5600Ridge.com or Text to 312-654-2332

When you click 5600Ridge.com you are diverted to this link at Neighborland. Which is strange because the article from 2012 at Edgeville Buzz has the same link to Neighborland. Probably the owners thought that 5600Ridge.com was a more memorable site for passerby to remember.

Apathy is tough to change. Would this be tolerated in Evanston? Is there something special about Rogers Park where this is okay? Photo taken at 9:15 am this morning. Called police and let the alderman's office know about it. Is someone taking care of this house? Will a for sale sign ever grace this address?

Right now this place can't get no respect. In an area when you have a majority of multifamily buildings and with some single family house things like this can happen.

Bea, a neighbor, previously mentioned that squatters had to be kicked out of this house. The house looks abandoned because cars are allowed to chronically block the driveway. If appearances are kept up the chances of this happening (squatters and vandalism) are much less.

Two days before this post (August 12th)

Rep. Kelly Cassidy said...
"If at first you don't succeed, flag down the garbage truck and ask nicely. Mission accomplished. Silver car still there. Call placed (again) to law firm appointed trustee in bankruptcy case to get an update on the property status as well as gently remind them they need to take care of the property."

Thanks again Rep. Cassidy! Hopefully we can make some progress into getting a responsible owner or entity to take care of this handsome house on Ashland.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Along with the continuing Howard Streetscape we have a new get to know Howard marketing blitz. These cheesy tongue in cheek signs really (beyond the jumpbreak) bring a lot of cheer to the northern part of Rogers Park

The planters by Lost Eras and the Greenview/Rogers Avenue have now been planted. Still waiting for the clock tower. A new sign warns drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists (at Howard east of the Howard Greenview Rogers) warns in no uncertain terms that public drinking will not be tolerated.

Specifically the new sign states "NOTICE It Is Unlawful For Any Person (even the alderman or mayor) To Drink Any Alcoholic Liquor On Any Public Way Or In Any Motor Vehicle Upon A Public Way In The City Of Chicago FINE : $100-500 or 6 MOS. Imprisonment Municipal Code Of Chicago Section 8-4-030"'

This is how V-Tone looks now after all the trash has been picked up that has accumulated over the past week. This writer has been diligently picking up their parkway, planters, tree planters and side yard over the past year.

In return this writer has gotten grief over accidentally dragging in a few leaves and other litter when throwing away the trash in V-Tone. The proprietor does not acknowledge my existence other than as being a pest.

Talking with the business nicely, sarcastically, angrily, whatever has not worked. So this writer discussed the problem with the alderman's office. Hopefully things change. Will reassess V-Tone in a week and post a photo of how it looks then.

Monday, August 12, 2013

An anonymous source tipped off Chevanston to the existence of this YouTube video. Filmed on location in Rogers Park this video features semi-automatic weapons, handguns and lots of aggressive posturing. Above you can see the distinctive gate and siding of the duplex at Farwell and Greenview which suffered a fire this past winter.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Tryapanophobia is the fear of needles. According to Wikipedia it is also known as aichmophobia, belonephobia, enetophobia and simply (and most commonly) needle phobia. The caption for this photo for sale on E-bay is "seven year old Jason Peterson wields a giant syringe". This photograph is dated March 9th 1983. Below is an excerpt from the article (Chicago Sun-Times) entitled "Kids Play Doctor To Rid Fear Of Hospitals". James Klepitsch is the photographer (in the old days journalism consisted of a reporter and a photographer - see old issues of Spiderman to see an old fashioned newspaper photographer in action. The trend now is for reporter/producers aka writer and photographer in one ala DNAinfo.com. There still are a few pro photogs left for the major news outlets).

"Evanston's St. Francis Hospital is doing what parents have longed to do for decades -- convince children not to be afraid of doctors. The three-year-old program instills the notion that hospitals can be fun. ------ Instead of cringing from syringes and needles, children are encouraged to spray paint on a canvas from syringes (sans needle)."

Maybe its time that a similar program was started up again. Cursory internet search turns up zilch for programs of this kind today. Here is a link from a Chicago Tribune article from 1999. The story covers a Teddy Bear clinic which was held for one week at St Joseph's Provena Hospital in Joliet. Children were prepared for emergencies and acted out scenarios with the teddy bears.

It certainly is possible that such programs do exist. But likely not very common. This is an everyday problem (at least ten percent of the population). It has helped some soldiers with PTSD to virtually reimmerse them in the associated environment where the trauma occurred. If no program exists to help children with needle phobia playing with a toy doctor kit would probably help.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

An hour ago Ray Sun The One tweeted a link to this video. In it a group of young men are inspecting a shattered rear window of what appears to be a late nineties dark green American car. Location? Courtyard building with plain black gate. In the reflection you can see another building featureless and solid brick. This type of building with that kind of gate is common North Of Howard.

A 24-year-old man was shot about 1 a.m. (August 10th 2013) in the 7400 block of North Rogers Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood. He ran to a nearby CTA station where police found him. He is in stable condition at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston.

The Google Maps picture above was taken when Clark Rogers Flowers occupied the Northeast corner. (And when the mailbox used to just be blue instead of blue and green)

Friday, August 9, 2013

Are you a luddite? No internet, no TV, no cellphone? Its getting hard and harder to find newspapers. How are you going to keep up with the latest movies and music releases? Well you could make weekly checks on Eddy's Food Mart's posted bills. (This wall has been featured once before)

This house has been vacant for quite awhile. For so long in fact that the general public routinely block the driveway with their cars. Does this house have a future? Right now it would appear not to. It has a little bit of graffiti on the side of the house. Will there be more? When will the garbage be picked up? The house's garbage can is filled to the brim and has been left on the curb.

Would hate to see this fine stucco house turn into something like the gang tagged house further south on Ashland. (Thanks in part to DNAinfo.com shining a light on this house it has since been bought and is being rehabbed.) These pictures were taken earlier in the week. Neighbors should be pitching in to make sure that this house is kept up and not taken advantage of. Right? That's life in the city. Sometimes the answer is no.